SACRAMENTO, CA - Derrek Lee would rather remain retired than join the New York Yankees to help fill a void at first base while Mark Teixeira recovers from a wrist injury.

Lee, the 37-year-old former World Champion and two-time All-Star, who had been retired since 2011 after his brief stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates, notified the Yankees on Thursday that he will not be returning to Major League Baseball.

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports was first to report the story.

Lee, who grew up in Carmichael and went to El Camino High School in Carmichael, hit .267 with 19 home runs and 59 RBI in 113 games with the Pirates during his final season in 2011.

Through his career, Lee played 15 seasons, won a World Series title with the Florida Marlins in 2003, won a National League batting champion in 2005, and a three-time Gold Glove winner. He retired with a career .281 batting average and 331 homers.

Lee made his big-league debut in 1997 with the San Diego Padres before being traded to the Marlins in 1998. He went on to play with the Chicago Cubs for six full seasons before rounding out his career with the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and the Pirates.